> I doubt Google or Microsoft would consider me at this stage in my career because I lack a college degree. Don't know for sure about Microsoft - but if you ca

> I doubt Google or Microsoft would consider me at this stage in my career because I lack a college degree. Don't know for sure about Microsoft - but if you can get a referral at Google, they will definitely consider you. A college degree definitely helps you get to the interview stage, but doesn't do much more than that. A solid referral pretty much guarantees you an interview.